"Trish Hylton, You are an Ironman!"

Where do I begin? Well, I've accomplished the impossible...I am an Ironman.

I've written the below race recap in order to capture every possible memory. I realize that this is the longest blog entry in the history of blogs, so I've broken it into parts for those of you that just want to get to the point. I've also included lots of pics for people like my sister who would rather look at pics than read every last detail. Enjoy!

Countdown to Race Day...

Thursday

On Thursday morning I flew out of SFO with a layover in Dallas and an end destination in Louisville. My teammates and I were super giddy on the flight to Dallas, and much quieter on our flight to Louisville. On both flights, the attendant announced the Ironteam presence, the fact that we had raised almost half a million dollars to support cancer research and that we were on our way to Louisville to do an Ironman. Then everyone clapped, including us :P

On Thursday night, we walked through 4th Street Live (which is the Ironman Finisher chute) and downtown to a restaurant owned by a TNT Louisville Chapter member. We were hosted to a free buffet dinner and some course tips.

Friday

On Friday morning, we headed down to the swim finish for the Gatorade Practice Swim. This was our first encounter with the Ohio River. The water was about 80 degrees and contained so much “silt” that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. We first swam against the current, turned at the 3rd buoy and swam with the current. Returning was noticeably faster, so that was a good thing. During the practice swim, I realized two things. 1) Due to the lack of visibility in the water, there was no way I was going to be able to catch a draft off of another swimmer. You would find out someone was in front of you, once you swam on top of them. 2) I had forgotten to bring my new goggles. My back up pair were fogging up and this was making sighting difficult. I’d have to buy a new pair at the expo (A big “Coach’s no-no”). After our practice swim, we headed to Tri-Bike Transport, which was set up just outside of transition to gather our bikes and tri-bags, which had been shipped a week prior from California. My bike shifted easily, just as it had when I dropped it off. Nothing exciting in the test ride and that was a good thing.

Next stop was the athlete check-in. This was interesting. The first station was athlete weigh-in. The scale they used reported your weight, body fat percentage, and hydration level. This information is later used if you are medically treated during the race, they weigh you again and determine if it’s safe/dangerous for you to continue. The next few stations were forms and signatures. Finally, you sit down one-on-one with a volunteer and the give you a packet with your race numbers, timing chip, and course info. They review all of the logistics that need to be figured out before you go to the start line. Then I picked up my new Ironman Louisville drawstring tote (first piece of schwag) and my transition/special needs bags. Next was the Ironman Expo, where they sell all things Iron and Triathlon related with the exception of anything that says “Finisher” on it, that would be for Monday morning.

Friday night, was the Ironman Louisville Athlete Dinner. You can imagine how good a dinner being served to 3,000 people all at one was...not very good. But the presentation and excitement level was awesome. I learned some very interested facts about the race and for some reason, they are burned in my memory:

• 3,000 people registered, but about 2,350 showed up to race
  
• There would by 3,000 volunteers on the course, more than the number of athletes
  
• 800 people were Ironman virgins (including me)


• 77% of registrants were Men, 23% were Women (I found this to be shocking)


• The 5 most well represented states were Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and California (thanks to Ironteam)
  
• Every state was represented including North Dakota, thanks to the one guy from ND


• The youngest racer would turn 18 the day before the race, and the oldest racer was 77


• The “Biggest Loser” was a man who had lost 201 lbs while training for Ironman Louisville. He did it for his kids.
  

Throughout the event, you got the idea that while many of the people there had amazingly fit physiques and proudly flaunted their Ironman tattoos, only a handful were Pro athletes. The rest of us were normal everyday people who decided to take on this mind blowing challenge of Ironman and for many (including myself), the journey had been life changing.

Saturday

Saturday morning, the team met for a short 20 minute run to open the legs up. The weather was overcast but I was drenched in sweat half way in. I was hoping this wouldn’t be a precursor to what race day would be like.

My team held an Inspiration Lunch, where family and friends were also invited. My family hadn’t arrived yet, so I went solo. It was a fantastic event. TNT Director, Barb Smalley, recapped our amazing fundraising accomplishments. Since Ironteam’s inception in 2001, I am one of 600 athletes that has stepped to the Ironman starting line and raised a total of $6 million to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Coach Doug congratulated us for making it to this point and gave us a pep talk for the next day. They showed a team picture-video and a pre-recorded video made by our Head Coach Dave, who was absent since he would be racing Ironman Canada that same weekend. Our honorees spoke and thanked us. Honoree Roman told us to use his story of survival as a motivational tool for us when things got hard. Honoree and fellow teammate, Fran, reminded us to live everyday like it’s our last, because someday we’ll be right. We cried and we laughed, a lot. It was a wonderful way to for us all to reflect on our journey together and get excited for what was to come.

My family arrived in the late afternoon. My Mom, Dad, and sister, Lauren, had driven over 6 hours from Michigan to see me attempt this crazy race I'd been talking about for the last 10 months. It was so good to see them. We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and parted ways so that I could attend my team's meditation session and then head to bed.

Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky...

My Ironman day started at 4:00 am, when my alarm went off, I sat up in bed and thought, "This is it." The IronGods had answered my prayers and the forecast was calling for a high of 74 degrees. I changed into my swimsuit and sweats, grabbed my special needs bags and headed down to the hotel lobby to meet my teammates. We walked about 1/2 mile from our hotel to transition and set out to drop off our special needs bags to the volunteers, pump up our tires, and fill our aero bottles. We then walked another 3/4 mile to the swim start. As soon as we arrived to the start, we walked through a sea of volunteers whose sole job was to body mark. I had my age, 27, written on my left calf, and my race number, 404, written on my arms. Since Ironman Louisville is unique in that it's a time trial swim start and the 17 hour clock starts when the first swimmer enters the water, everyone wanted to be as close to the start as possible - so the line was already a mile long at 5:30 am. We sat in the dark for about an hour before the line started moving. At 6:45 am, the Pro's cannon went off. I was instantly nervous and anxious, but when I looked around and saw my teammates all around me, I calmed down a little. At 7:00 am, our cannon went off and we quickly marched down to the docks.

As I passed under the Ironman Swim Start arch, I was suddenly overcome with emotion. After 10 months of rigorous training, I was finally here. Starting the race, but nearing the end of my Ironman journey. My eyes welled with tears as I soaked in the moment. Ryan, Becky, Mike, Jess, Ted, Lulu, Amy and I trotted past our fans and split off into two lines that would lead us off to either one of two docks. I ended up on the far dock, the time was 7:10 when I jumped in the water.


2.4 Mile Swim

The water was warmer than the air and as soon as I popped up to the surface it was game time. I started warming up my stroke and taking in the scene. Because we had a staggered start I initially had plenty of room, but the space didn’t last as I caught up to the straggler swimmers and that’s when the drama starts. The Ohio River is not clear, it’s not even cloudy, it’s dark. Under water, I wasn’t able to see swimmers in front of me until I was on top of them. As we swam alongside the island and the opposite shore, the group narrowed and things got progressively rougher. This is point where it truly felt like 77% of the people were men. I have never been so battered in a race before. I remember Coach Doug’s meditation session where he talked us through the swim and said “Don’t get shaken up by the churn of the other swimmers, find your own groove” I was repeating his statement in my head as I was stroke slapped in the face twice by the same guy. Once we circled the red turn around buoy, I had the space to swim wide into the faster part of the current. I finally started to find my groove. As a helicopter followed over the river, I was finally able to let it sink it, "I'm doing an Ironman!"

Transition 1

After 1 hour and 22 minutes, I was back on land. I cheerfully jogged past all of the cheering spectators and headed to transition. I yelled my race number "404" and the volunteers handed me my bike bag. I then jogged into the women's changing tent, found a chair and dumped my stuff on the ground. A helpful volunteer came over to offer her assistance. As she sorted out my stuff for me, I looked around the tent and found my teammates Wendi, Becky, and LuLu. We exchanged excited greetings and got back to the task at hand. Once I was dressed and outfitted for my ride, I ran out of the tent to the sunscreen station. Another helpful volunteer lathered me up and I was off to find my bike. My family was waiting on the other side of the fence and I could hear them cheering for me as I ran down the aisle with my bike rolling alongside me. They said I was so focused that I didn't even look up, but I knew they were there and I had a big smile on my face.

112 Mile Bike

The bike ride took us through the downtown area and eventually out to the country. I concentrated on finding a good pace and settling in for the day. After I had drank nearly a bottle of my CarboPro/Accelerade mix I felt a cramp under my rib. I had swallowed a lot of water on the swim (gross) and I think I had an air bubble that wouldn't move. I tried EVERYTHING to make it go away. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I stayed out of the aero position to help open up my diaphragm. The cramp went away and came back a few times throughout the ride, but it wasn't bad enough to ruin my mood or make me think that I wasn't going to be able to get through it. The course was 2 loops that took us over the rolling hills of the Kentucky countryside and through a cute little town called La Grange. My family had staked out their spot and I was able to find them and wave both times. They had a giant star shaped sign that said my name with ribbons and streamers. I had outfitted them with our team's spectator shirts so they were easy to spot. I looked forward to both laps through the town and left feeling like a had a good little boost from it.

The ride was challenging. There wasn't much elevation gain, there was very little coasting since I was constantly pedaling either to get up a hill or to accelerate down the hill. The cramp under my rib made drinking very undesirable. There were points that I was forcing myself to sip. Throughout the ride, I was either passed by or passed some of my teammates. I was so nice to see a familiar face out there, to check in with each other, and yell, "We're doing an Ironman!" There were lots of friendly people on the course. Our bib numbers listed our first names, so folks would ride up behind me and say "You're looking great, Trish!" I got passed a lot, definitely more than I passed others. I would always look at the age listed on their calf. Ironman is an unbelievably youthful sport. No one looks their age from behind.

At around mile 90 something I saw a sign that said "2nd Loop Left". I was disoriented from the long day on the bike and turned left, realized that I was the only one and was then informed by a volunteer that the sign was for racers STARTING their first loop. I turned the bike around and he gave me a good push (since I was still in my big ring). I rejoined the riders heading towards the city. Mike Kyle caught up to me. I congratulated him on an awesome bike ride only to learn that he hadn't made the 2nd loop cut-off time and was headed back to Louisville, his race day was over. Apparently, his chain had snapped and it took the support vehicle nearly 2 hours to arrive. My heart broke for him. I told him I was still proud of him nonetheless and he kept his chin up till the end. Jess caught us sometime after the 100 mile mark. She was elated that she'd caught up since I was her "rabbit"after the swim. We were both in great spirits and having a fantastic day. As we headed into the downtown, we passed my sister, Lauren, who had been sitting under a tree waiting with her camera. Hearing her cheer me on gave me another little boost as I was finishing the longest leg of my journey.

Transition 2

After 7 hours and 17 minutes on the bike, I was happy to dismount. A volunteer grabbed my bike from me so that I was able to jog to the changing tent. Jess let me know that we could do the marathon in 7 hours and still cross the finish line before midnight. It was good to know that I had that much time. Another friendly volunteer greeted me in the changing tent and asked if I needed any help. I gladly accepted and dumped out my transition bag. Another volunteer came over to help since there weren't too many athletes in the tent, so now I had double the attention. I really took my time and chatted it up while they rubbed body glide on all areas of skin that would inevitably rub against my tri-top. They wished me luck and I headed out of transition.

26.2 Mile Run

The downtown streets were lined with cheering spectators. I'd almost forgotten that my name was listed on my bib and thought "how the heck do these people know my name?" Didn't take long to realize that they read it, but I definitely went there in my head. Having people tell me how great I was looking actually helped me think that I was doing great. The first 3 miles were better than I expected. I crossed the bridge over to Indiana and back and started out on my double loop. The course looks daunting on paper because it's a straight out and back, twice. But in reality, I liked recognizing the landmarks and knowing where the water stops were. The best part was passing my teammates who were running in the opposite direction.

Somewhere around mile 4 or 5, I managed to lose the cap to my little handheld water bottle. I walked back through the water stop to look for it and then resigned and decided to just accept that I needed to adjust my plan. It really wasn't a big deal since there was water every mile. I was running 4 minutes and walking 1. The pace was completely manageable. All I had to do was put one foot in front of the other, that simple. At the waterstops, I was drinking gatorade and water. Every few miles I would take a gel. At the 8 mile turn around point, I realized that I hadn't seen my family since I started the bike (with the exception of Lauren). I was concerned that they had somehow gotten confused and didn't know where to see the marathon course. I was relieved to see them around mile 11. They had parked themselves on the sidewalk with their signes and bells. I was so happy to see them. My dad asked me if I wanted him to run with me. If you know my dad, you know that was absolutely joking, but I joked back and said "sure, get out here!" That gave me another good little boost.

At mile 13, I reached special needs. I didn't really have any "special needs" at the moment, but I knew that I had a motivating note from Dennis waiting for me in my bag. I welcomed the break and stopped to open the envelope. The note warmed my heart with his praises and encouragement, it even made me laugh. It was exactly what I needed at mile 13 during my first Ironman. I also decided to treat myself to a clean pair of socks that I had stowed away in my bag. I carefully applied chamois butter to my toes to help prevent blisters and changed into a nice soft pair of fresh socks. Ahh...and I was off! Mile 14 was pure torture. As you run down 4th, you can see the finish line, the lights, the cameras, the crowd, and then you're directed to turn right down another block to start your 2nd loop. It was starting to get tougher mentally. As I high fived my passing teammates, I wished I could be in their shoes - heading to the finish line. Just at the point where I was starting to forget how much fun I was having, I saw my family. My dad was yelling at me to start running and I was shaking my head explaining that I was on my walk break. They had recruited some local spectators to cheer for me, so when I finally did start running again, I could hear a crowd of people cheering behind me.

At mile 18, I was sick of Gatorade. I started eating 2 pretzels and washing it down with chicken broth. It satisfied my need to eat real food and my craving for salt. At mile 20, I'd reached the turnaround point. Our coach had warned us that the marathon of an Ironman is actually 2 runs - a 20 mile run and then a 6 mile run. If you burned yourself out on the first part, you'd pay for it during the 2nd part. I recalled the advice, but felt confident that I hadn't pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I stayed the course and let myself daydream about what it was going to feel like to finish an Ironman.

At mile 21, I was in desperate need of a boost, but I had planned for this. I had purposely cut caffeine out of my diet 2 weeks prior in order to let my body feel the great effects of the caffeinated cola being served on the course. I held off on drinking it for as long as I could because once you start drinking Coke, your body craves "fast" sugars and will cease to digest anything else. So Coke and water it was for the last 5 miles. It worked. I felt like a wind up toy. I'd be slowly chugging along to the next water stop, drink a cup of flat coke, and I bounced back. At this point, I was kind of taking it all in. I was about to complete an Ironman, me, an Ironman, unbelievable!

Around mile 24, I met up with Kristie, who was waiting for me on the side of the road. She, a 2-time Ironman herself, was going to run me in to downtown. I get choked up just reflecting on this, on how powerful my "Team" experience had been. Kristie, had been especially supportive to me during my 10 month journey. I was elated to see her and picked up my pace since I knew that I was so close to the finish. I asked her if she thought it was possible for me to finish in sub 15 hours. She looked at her watch and said, "Well, you have 25 minutes to run the next mile, I think you're definitley going to finish in the 14 hour range." This highly surpassed my expectations of finishing. As we neared downtown, I handed her my glow necklace, my electolyte container and my gels. I wanted to cross the finish line with nothing in my pockets, can't explain why, that's just how I wanted it to be.

Before I made my left/right jog to the finish, I highfived all of our Ironteam fans that were waiting at the corner. Again, I don't have words for how good it felt to see them waiting for me there.

I turned left down a dark block, and turned right down 4th street. The finishing line was only .2 miles ahead of me. I ran another half block in the dark and soon as I stepped on the finishers carpet, there were bright lights. So bright, I couldn't make out the faces of the spectators lined along the barrier. It was so loud, but I couldn't really tell you what I heard. I wanted to run slowly to take it all in, but my legs were bounding as if I was on my first mile of the day. I ran under the finisher's arch, arms raised. "Trish Hylton, you are an Ironman!" My eyes warmed over with tears and I buried my face in my hands. I just couldn't believe it. Next thing I know, someone was trying to get a medal over my head, a race volunteer grabbed me and I was off into the finisher's area. I could hear my sister on the other side of the barrier, but the race volunteer was trying to do her medical assessment of me. Once I convinced her that I didn't need to sit down or need an IV, she let me move on to get my space blanket, hat, t-shirt, and finisher's photo. I then met my sister at the fence. I couldn't stop smiling and she had proud tears in her eyes. Shortly after, my Mom, Dad, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bob arrived. I gave them all sweaty, salty hugs. My Mom dialed Dennis' number and handed the cell phone over the barrier. I don't even remember what I said to Den, but I know that I was eccstatic. The most thrilling 14 hours 48 minutes and 14 seconds of my life!

Wanna feel like you were there? Check it out the video Coach Doug made for us!

Condition: Amazed...I've accomplished the impossible...I'm an Iron(wo)man!

Race Weekend!

Hello Readers!

I'm writing you from Louisville, KY. I only have a few minutes because I have a visualization session in 15 minutes and then it's off to bed. Tommorow is the big day! If your interested in seeing where I am along the course you go to the Athlete Tracker on Ironman.com. My bib number is #404. You won't know exactly where I am, but you can see which check points I am in between. Thanks so much for all of the love and support! I can't wait to share the story of my adventure with you :)

Condition: READY!

Week 39: Solo 19 Miler & a Mechanical

Since I chose to race Aquabike, I missed a scheduled 19 mile run on the training calendar, and this had to be made up. I never thought I would do something like this, but I used half of a vacation day on the following Tuesday so that I could get the run in before the next weekend. I needed to do it more mentally than physically. On race day, I'll need to do a lot of positive self-talk and I wanted to be able to tell myself "you're prepared, you've done all of the training." So there I was at Inspiration Point on Tuesday morning. I set out to do 3 loops so that I could return to the car every 6.3 miles and replenish my bottle and gels. It was a fantastic run for the first 15 miles. The last 4 were painful. My IT band was super tight and I needed to stop and stretch frequently. By mile 17, my knee was aching. My heartrate was OK, I wasn't winded, I just felt like my legs were slowly breaking down. I have no idea how I'm going to make it another 7 miles after riding for 112 and swimming 2.4 miles, but I will.

On Saturday, Dennis and I headed out of the house at 6 am. We were going to ride 20 miles to meet his team (he's coaching TNT Cycle Team this Fall), join the TNT ride for 20 miles, do the 3 Bears Loop and ride another 20 miles home. Unfortunately, my chain broke at mile 21 and I had to call a cab to pick me up and take me to the nearest BART station. I then walked home and realized I forgot my keys! Ugh...it happens. When Dennis got home we took my bike to the shop and had a new chain put on. Better that this happened when it did and not on race day :P

Condition: Inspired yet broken down

Family Matters: Rhode Island Swim Champs!

Congratulations to the Greenwich Gators for winning their All-Pool Meet!

A special shout out to my cousins Jack Kilpatrick and Cameron Potter who were each awarded the title of "Outstanding Swimmer" in their respective age categories. Awesome job!

Congratulations Ironteamates!

These guys rocked the Vineman course! Congratulations Ironteamates!

Condition: So proud of my Teammates! Go Ironteam!

Week 38: Aquabike

In preparation for Ironman, a few of us thought it would be good to do (not race) Aquabike - to help us test out our ability to ride the full distance without stopping too much as we sometimes do in training. Aquabike is a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike race on the same course as Vineman. I had the privilege of riding with my teammates who were racing their first Ironman distance race and the pleasure of getting off the bike and being done (as opposed to doing a marathon).

Jess, Mike D, Mike Hazel, Ryan, Becky, Dave, and I stayed in a villa for the weekend that Jess found online. It just happened to be right at the corner where the bike and run course intersect. The property was AMAZING and the location couldn't have been more perfect. We stocked up on lots of food and beer so that we could throw ourselves a delicious BBQ dinner on Friday night. The beer was for Saturday night.

Our alarms went off at 4 am on Saturday...it's pretty typical that the thought, "Why am I doing this?" lingered in my mind at that hour. But my question is always answered during the race. We all quietly ate our breakfasts, packed our gear in the cars and headed to Guernville where the race would start.

The swim would have been perfect if my new attire had worked out better. I had this great idea that if I wore a sports bra under my bathing suit, it would make it easier to change in transition. Unfortunately, I didn't wear a super tight fitting sports bra and as soon as I started swimming, it created a water bubble that dragged on my chest. Frustrating, but I'm glad I didn't try this out on race day. It was 2 loops up and down the Russian River. At points, the river was so shallow, you could stand up and walk. My swim time was 1:21, not bad considering I had that water bubble issue. In transistion, I was able to practice my race day change: swimsuit/sports bra into a cycling shorts and jersey. Worked out just fine.

The bike ride was beautiful! Russian River, vineyards, lots of rollers, only one steep climb (that you do twice). Since our rental house was 57 miles into the ride, we decided to use our driveway as our "special needs" station. Since poor Dave broke his wrist and has folded on his season, he volunteered to be our support guy. This station was a point of contention amonst our group the night before since it's illegal to recieve "outside" help. I had to remind myself that I wasn't racing so a penalty really wouldn't matter. It was just another training day. We took our chances and none of us was spotted by the race officials getting sprayed with sunscreen and picking up our bottles out of a cooler. Jess caught up to me around mile 85, so we rode the rest together. With the last 5 miles to go being flat and me feeling like I still had a lot in me, I couldn't resist hammering it to the finish line. I had this false idea that I could finish the ride in sub 7 hours, but it turns out that was my roll time...oops. Jess held on and we were able to cross the finish line together.

Next on the days agenda was food, shower, and cheering on the teammates competing in Vineman!

Condition: Ready to Race!

I am 92% of the way to my fundraising goal! Help me cure cancer one mile at a time...Donate Here!

Week 37: Triple Brick & Catfish Crawl

What a weekend?! On Saturday, I tackled the infamous triple brick workout.


[30 mile bike + 5 mile run] + [30 mile bike + 5 mile run] + [30 mile bike + 5 mile run] = 10 hours of training. No, I am not exaggerating. I started at 7 am and finished just before 5 pm. The first set was easy, cool overcast weather, no traffic on the road. My Garmin overloaded and froze up - no biggie since I was riding and running with my teammate, Sedonia. She was keeping track of our run/walk times. The second set started to warm up, by the run, it was hot. The third loop was tough. My toes starting cramping on mile 20. Sedonia and I had been chatting all day long, but by the time we got to the third run, we were quiet. That was ok though, because we finished it, the whole damn thing!

On Sunday, Tami and I drove down to Cupertino for the Catfish Crawl, a 2.4 mile swimming race in the Stevens Creek Reservoir. It was supposed to be a special race, because the reservoir is only open to swimmers once a year. I could have cared less, I was exhausted! The triple brick workout had stifled my appetite the night before, so I ended up having oatmeal and chocolate milk for dinner. Oddly enough, I had the same thing for breakfast the next morning. Certainly not enough to fuel my excitement for a really long swim. My friend, Michelle, had registered at the last minute and met us there. She had trained for the Vineman Half, but crashed her bike during the race and was unable to finish. She was super excited to do the swim since she never got to release all of those race nerves and had been nursing some bad scrapes and bruises. Her cheery attitude helped balance out my "less than amused" attitude.

There were actually 2 races, a 1.2 mile swim and a 2.4 mile swim. The 2.4 mile only had one wave. That meant that all men and women of all ages would start at the same time. When the gun went off, it was a humbling moment. I had forgetten what it felt like to get rocked during a swim start. It took me back to my first Sprint Triathlon when I had no idea how rough those girls would be in the front. This time, I was battling it out with some very aggressive men and some hardcore women too. After my near drowning, the pack started to thin out. I was lucky enough to find a good draft early on. This meant a little less work for me. I was able to hang on for the first 1.2 mile loop. As we rounded out to start the second loop, I started to drop off. It was too much energy to catch up, so I just let her go. This is when my stomach started growling...grrrr. I was losing steam and I was so hungry, the oatmeal and chocolate milk didn't go far. I attempted to catch a few more drafts along the way, but nothing stuck. I saw one good target, but as soon as I sped up to catch him, he flipped on his back and started doing the backstroke! It 500 meters to the finish when someone kept grabbing my foot. I finally flipped around to see what was going on back there, and it was Michelle! It was good timing, because I was starting to have a lot of negative self talk in my head. I focused on swimming with her all the way through the finish, our time was 1:25, just a few seconds apart.

The workout didn't end there. Our team drove to a nearby school where we headed out for a short run. Our destination was the gravesite of a past Ironteam member and honoree, Louie Bonpua. As a team, we took the time to reflect on why we are doing what we are doing. Below is a brief article on Louie's legacy.



Hours after he carried the Olympic torch in San Francisco on Saturday, a Milpitas triathlete who had leukemia fell asleep and never awoke. Louie Bonpua died Tuesday morning, January 22, 2002, in Santa Clara. Louie was 37. Five months earlier, Louie had completed his first Ironman triathlon, Ironman Canada, in British Columbia despite battling leukemia for four years.. His inspirational story was one of the reasons he was chosen to complete one leg of the Olympic torch run as it came through Crissy Field in San Francisco. "It's just kind of amazing to think that essentially on Saturday both his Olympic torch and essentially his life completed its journey," said a friend, Paul Chodroff. Louie, a high-tech program manager in Silicon Valley, began training for triathlons more than nine years ago, after he was originally asked to serve as an honoree of the San Francisco chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Instead of being honored, he decided to join the society's team of triathletes, who raise money to fight the disease. Aided by an experimental drug called STI-571, Louie began a grueling training regimen, exercising six days a week. He eventually completed nine triathlons, shorter versions of an Ironman, prior to his Ironman Canada race. Completing the Ironman -- with its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and a marathon -- is no simple feat, but for someone with leukemia, it seemed nearly impossible. Before the race, Louie received a blood transfusion just to get the strength to compete. It took him nearly 17 hours, but Louie crossed the finish line, where a huge crowd was chanting "Louie, Louie." Louie was honored with the race's "Ironman Spirit" award, and he wrote a stirring first-person account of the race (see link below). His story and determination inspired many, including many youngsters with cancer. And despite his pain, friends said, he stayed exceedingly upbeat. "Louie always had a smile on his face," said Stuart Chase, who trained with Louie for the past year. "He just didn't want cancer to be something to slow him down." Louie Bonpua was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States in 1981. A graduate of San Francisco State University, he later worked for Cadence Design Systems of Sunnyvale. Louie attempted to find a bone-barrow match, which would have saved his life, but no suitable donors were ever identified. Despite his battles with leukemia, Bonpua was thrilled to be working for a cure. "Whether or not this leukemia gets me in the end, I know that we have already won the war against cancer due to the joys and successes that we have shared," he wrote on his Web site.

Condition: Exhausted, but feeling great about what I've accomplished so far

I am 86% of the way to my fundraising goal! Help me cure cancer one mile at a time...Donate Here!

Family Matters

CONGRATULATIONS to my Aunt Carolyn, my sister Lauren and her friend Laura! The 3 ladies completed their first triathlon at the Danskin SheRox Tri in Massachusetts.

Week 36: Sleeping in can be Overrated

I jumped at the opportunity to join the Redwood/Wine Country crew for a ride out of Santa Rosa around 1pm on Saturday. I can't remember the last time I slept in, so this sounded like the best idea EVER!

Unfortunately, I didn't consider all of the facts. Like that Santa Rosa is about an hour and a half away from Oakland or that it would be over 100 degrees by noon in Sonoma. I had gone to my friends' wedding the night before, so my hydration was lacking to say the least. We had a great ride group: Me, Moddie, Mike Kyle, Paul Kinney, Megan, Sedonia, Les, Wendy, Tony and Dan. We set out on our "short" 60 mile ride. Around mile 15, we started our 30 minute sustained climb up Pine Flat. The ride was beautiful, but it was hard to notice with the unbearable heat. The wind felt like the gust you sometimes get when opening a hot oven. My eyeballs were hot. At 29 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore, my heart rate was too high and I needed to stop. As soon as I clipped out, I started feeling dizzy. I felt like I was on the verge of fainting, so I put my bike down and took deep breaths. Eventually, the spins went away and I headed back down the hill.

As planned, we all met at the country store to buy some more ice. Mike K. had a broken spoke and Megan slashed her tire on the bead, so their day's were over. At this point, I was so overheated and dehydrated that I needed to go to plan B, and that was to shorten the ride. A group of us crept on to finish at 45 miles. I've learned that I need to do more to prepare for hot days. Once I get to the point that my stomach doesn't want to digest calories, I know I'm in trouble. And let's face it, Louisville is going to be HOT.

Pine Flat is a famous road for cyclists. Earlier this year, Team Asatna came out to Sonoma to train and used Pine Flat to simulate the long climbs on the Tour. Check out this video that some local cyclists shot.





Condition: Wilted

Week 35: Going Long

On Saturday, we started the morning with an open water swim at Shadow Cliffs. We did our normal triangle swim around the lake (about 2 miles). Then someone started a bad rumor that we were supposed to do another out and back to the rock pile. At first, I said I wasn't going to do it since we still had a 17 mile run to do and that was going to take a lot out of me, but when Jess and LuLu said that they were going, then I said "OK, I'm right behind you. " Turns out that we were only supposed to go half way and turn around. The 3 of us ended up on the other side of the lake looking around for the others. I was starving, my stomach wouldn't stop growling, but the only way to food was to swim back. Once we returned, everyone else was dressed and ready to run. We got lots of laughs and high fives for our 3 mile swim. I stuffed my face with a Luna Bar and changed for the run.I adjusted my routine 9:1 run/walk plan to 4:1. We had to do 4 loops to make it 17 miles. The first and second loop felt good, the 4 minutes flew by. The third loop was really difficult. It was getting hot, I was sick of drinking accelerade, and I was starting to chafe under my left arm. The chaffing got so bad that I had to take my shirt off. I NEVER run without a shirt, but I had no choice. When I returned to my car, I lathered my arm with body glide, chugged cold water, added ice to my bottle, and set out for the 4th lap. My second wind came just in time. I'm amazed that I'm able to go these distances. My brain says keep going, and my legs obey. It's hard, but it's not impossible. Even when I'm hitting a low, I know I can come back from it. I just hope it works out this way on race day.

On Sunday, we set out from Walnut Creek for 85 miles of non-stop hills. The Dublin Grade, Redwood, Skyline, Grizzly Peak, down Wildcat Canyon, 3 Bears backwards (!), Reliz Valley, Pig Farm, and some random long hill after we missed a turn around mile 80. Wherever there was a hill, we climbed it. Normally, this would be a challenging ride, but to do it 24 hours after a 17 mile run was ridiculously hard. It felt like non-stop climbing, and the downhill didn't seem to balance out the incline. Once the ride was over, we rewarded ourselves with deli sandwhiches and cookies. It's the little pleasure in life :)

Condition: Pooped!

Week 34: Happy Independence Day!

I had Friday off from work, so I was able to spend the day with my Team Shadow (club) Teammates. We did a really nice, yet hilly 50 mile ride. And the best part? Brunch afterwards.

How did I celebrate the independence of our country? With a 14 mile run of course. My teammate Tony set up a very well marked course in Alameda, which is right on the water (perfect weather) and is super flat (heaven). The Vineman athletes had to do a 19 mile run, so I showed up an hour after they started so that I could jump into their mile 6. For some bizarre reason, my Garmin wouldn't turn on. I was frustrated for a minute, so much of training is about building a routine. How was I going to be able to run 14 miles without knowing my time, rest interval, pace, and heart rate? Then I realized that I was overreacting. It turned out to be a fantastic run. Not having all of that information on my wrist allowed me to just go with the flow. Belinda, Tony, Nick and I kept close so were able to stay on the same rest interval and encourage each other when it started getting tough. At the end of the workout, we treated ourselves to ice cold coca-colas, nothing better! We had lunch at the local BBQ joint and watched the Alameda parade, how All-American of us?

Condition: Feeling really good about my run

Week 33: Double Brick in 105 degrees

I love training for an Ironman. I sometimes complain that I'm tired or hungry (always) or that I have no time to socialize or take care of things in my personal life (like laundry), but at 8 months into my journey, I wouldn't change a thing.

Saturday's double brick workout was the hardest day of training that I've experienced so far. (A brick is when you stack a run after a bike ride). It was 30 miles on the bike, 5 miles of running, 30 miles back on the bike, and 5 more miles of running. The actual distances were hard enough, but the East Bay was experiencing a heat wave, so the 105 degree heat took the challenge to a new level. By the 2nd loop on the bike, I was nauseated and physically drained. At the mile 10 water stop, Kristie and Helen doted on me with ice, water, and anything else I needed. Coach Nancy was really encouraging and suggested that we slow the pace down. Over the next 10 miles, I bounced back enough that I wasn't thinking that I couldn't go on. By the time I returned to our starting point, Coach Doug was doing a check in with everyone. When was the last time you peed? Are you dizzy? Are you taking salt tablets? He suggested that we alter the workout for those that could continue - run out to the water stop and turn around. I ended up doing 3.5 miles instead of 5 and I walked for about half of it. By far the hardest day of training to date.

It wasn't an easy day for anyone. The Vineman athletes were scheduled to do a triple brick. I think a few actually completely the full workout, but most were physically unable to continue. 3 of my teamates crashed their bikes. Speaking from experience, nothing is more discouraging that hitting pavement. Everyone is ok, meaning no broken bones, but there will be a lot of healing wounds and bikes.

Post workout, I was presented with the "Spirit Cape" by my team's staff - completely unexpected. I think it's ironic that I received it on the day where my mental and emotional state were at its lowest. I was recognized for my perseverance aka my comeback on the bike. So now I will adorn the cape with something creative and it will be passed on to another athlete in a few weeks.

Condition: Feeling like a wilted flower

Fundraising Update

My teammate Tami and I hosted a wine tasting fundraiser at Dashe Cellars in Oakland. The night included wine tasting, tasty appetizers, and lots of awesome raffle prizes. Together, we raised almost $1,000! Thanks so much to Dashe, Sports Basement, World Ground Coffee, and all of the super generous attendees.

I am currently 78% of the way to my fundraising goal! With the help of my friends and family, I've raised $6,245! I still have another $1,755 to go.

Want to help support the cause to cure cancer? Click here!

Racing Against Cancer Video

Racing Against Cancer -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

Week 32: Livestrong

Since Dennis and I are so busy with all of the commitments we've crammed into our lives, it's important that we sometimes find a way to intersect our interests. He can talk me into almost anything as long as I can somehow fit my training in. So it wasn't such a tough sell to get me to join him at North Star in Tahoe where he would be volunteering to assist the Race Director with course set up and volunteer management for the Tour de Nez. The little carrot Den dangled in front of me? A night's stay at North Star, which has an Olympic size pool, lots of running trails, and a spa. Awesome! I should preface this entry by letting you know that Dennis used to race bikes at the semi-pro level. The first 2 years that we dated revolved around a lot of cycling events, so spending the day watching bike races was like kickin' it old school for us. But fitting in my training was a new twist. On Saturday, we left the house at 4:30 am in order to get to Truckee by 8 am. When we arrived at the resort, we found out that we were actually staying at The Truckee Hampton Inn. OK, no big deal. But Northstar wasn't going to let me use their facilities. No pool, no shower, no massage...wah,wah,wah. But I was more than welcome to use their running trails...eh.


I reluctantly put on my running shoes and mapped out where I was going. My plan was to do 16 miles. I'd have to do some loops so that I could replenish water and fuel. I could carry one bottle of endurance mix, electrolyte pills, and 2 gels. My plan was to run 5 miles out to a bathroom, where I'd refill my bottle, take a gel, and head back to the car. I really underestimated how I'd feel running at altitude. North Star is over 6,000 feet above sea level. My heartrate was high and I was feeling more winded than usual. The trail wasn't marked all that well, so I kept having to turn around and run back to forks in the trail. When I reached the bathroom point, I found a port-a-potty with no running water. Screwed! I had to ration my water for the next hour. After 10 miles, I arrived back to the car dehydrated and discouraged. I called it a day, 6 miles short of my goal. I still had time to catch the Pro Women's and Pro Men's bike races. At the after party, we had a great time catching up wtih old friends and talking about the excitement to come....

On Sunday, we made a stop on the way back to the Bay Area. Lance Armstrong was racing at the Nevada City Bicycle Classic. This would be his last race before the Tour de France next month. He wasn't the only big name there, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner also showed up to ride. The course was a 1.1 mile closed circuit set in the cute little downtown. This race is actually considered one of the most technically and physically challenging in America. 130 Pro and Cat 1 riders showed up at the start and 127 of them were lapped at least once by Lance. I'm not a super fan, but I have to admit that I was in complete awe while watching him race. He looked superhuman compared to the rest of the field. Dennis took some really great shots of the race, but I asked him to get one of me with Lance in the background so that I could post it on my blog. Well, this is it. Me and the black and yellow blur in the distance.

Condition: Not the best training weekend, but certainly an entertaining one

Week 31: 108 miles...This time in Napa

Whew! This was my third 100 + mile bike ride in 3 weeks. The route in Napa was rolling to flat, so it felt like a really fast 100 miles, but the last 8 miles were really tough, both mentally and physically. I rode with Nick, LuLu, and sometimes, Becky and Mike D. We averaged 18 mph! We followed our epic ride up with a 2 mile run.

On Sunday, we had a coached swim and run. The focus for both was to improve our technique. For the swim, I need my hand entry to extend later in thestroke and to pull all the way through. For the run, I need to relax my shoulders, breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, and maintain 90 rpm. Easier said than done.

Condition: 3 centuries in 3 weeks = money in the bank!

Week 30: America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe

This was Dennis' TNT Cycle Team's big event weekend, "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride," which is a 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe. I was able to buy a race entry at the last minute, so I hopped in the ride as a training day. My teammates Les and Wendi also registered for the event with some friends from Napa, so I was in great company. The race had 3,500 riders, 2,700 of which were with Team in Training. The vast majority of people were from outside of California. It's a TNT tradition to wear something on your helmet that represents where you're from. So we saw capitol buildings, dice, voodoo dolls, plastic wine glasses, beer cans, etc. We started at Harrah's casino in Nevada and rode up along the California side of the lake. The ride was breathtakingly beautiful. The ride had some climbing, just under 3,000 feet, so the riders from flat states (like Florida) tended to hit the wall on the inclines. It was a little tricky menuevering around people who were walking their bikes uphill or just stopped in the midde of the road. The altitude also made the climbs feel a litte more rigorous. Les and I noticed that our heart rates were higher than usual. Nonetheless, we had a great day.

I have to give a shout out to Team Wrong Way. The group of 11 had a roll time of 5:55, amazing!

Condition: 2 centuries in 2 weeks...getting tired, but still holding on